The Sault Cycling Club welcomed back dozens of bikers at the cyclocross event on the Crimson Ridge Golf Course this past weekend, where participants tested their abilities on the challenging conditions of a bumpy and twisty track.
After pulling away with a clearcut win in the competitive division, Velorution owner and avid mountain biker Jan Roubal was pleased with his performance, but he explains there was a far greater takeaway from the event.
“To see the kids enjoy it as much as they did was really great,” he says. “The cycling club has bred a great culture for the kids here. It’s cool to see the younger generation get involved with it.”
That sense of community-mindedness is what Roubal believes to be the key towards building a bright future for cycling and mountain biking in Sault Ste. Marie.
Born in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic and Slovakia), Roubal came to the Sault when he was 6 years old and has many fond memories of biking as a kid himself.
Since he began racing as a competitive mountain biker at 12 years of age, Roubal has competed in countless races and events throughout the continent and has picked up a number of title-clinching wins and impressive accolades along the way.
But most importantly, Roubal says he’s fortunate for the many lifelong friends and relationships he’s made over the years.
“As a 40-year-old, I still see people I used to race with when I was in my late teens and early twenties,” he says. “They’re friendships that never really go away. The community aspect of cycling is really what’s kept me with it.”
For a period of his life, Roubal had moved to Ottawa where he helped run a rental shop at a ski hill, but he eventually moved back to the Sault in 2007.
“I thought I’d never come back, but then I began realizing the things I was missing,” he says. “The longer I was gone, the more I realized that having mountain bike trails and recreation right outside your door was pretty special.”
Not long after coming home, an opportunity came up for Roubal to help out at Velorution – one of the city’s up and coming bicycle shops.
By 2014, he and his wife Ngaire had purchased the store and became owners. Last year, the couple moved from their Second Line location to the corner of Fish Hatchery Road and Landslide Road where they remain today.
Since being back in the Sault, Roubal has witnessed the cycling and mountain biking community grow exponentially, with more events and opportunities being presented for locals and tourists to get out and explore the area.
“We’re seeing a huge increase in people who are using bicycles to commute,” he says. “Even winter commuting has really grown in the last several years. And with COVID, everyone was looking to get outside, so mountain biking has become popular as well.”
“I see us becoming a travel destination,” he adds. “Over the last couple years, we’ve seen a huge influx of people coming to the Sault to enjoy it, whether it’s road biking, mountain biking, or just outdoor activities in general. We’re really lucky to have this awesome space around us.”
Roubal says biking is unique because it’s a lifetime activity.
“You may get away from it for a bit in your life, but it’s always something you can come back to,” he says. “It’s a great way to get fresh air and exercise, and it’s also really good for the environment. I’m a firm believer in being outside, especially when you’re in the forest from a mountain bike perspective – it’s really special.”
No matter the conditions outside, Roubal notes that every day is a good day to hop on a bike.
“I’m a firm believer there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear,” he says. “If you have good gear, you can get out there in anything.”
When he’s not racing, Roubal spends upwards of 15 hours every week on a bike – whether he’s training, commuting, or just going for a joy ride.
Now in his 40s, Roubal says he doesn’t intend on slowing down anytime soon.
“I still try to challenge myself and race whenever I can, even though I’m a bit of an old fart,” he laughed. “It’s something you can continuously be working to get better at. There’s always something to learn.”
Roubal says his wife Ngaire and two sons Josh and Seth have been an incredible support system for him when it comes to his passion for cycling.
“They all enjoy biking, and they like to come to the events I’m in,” he says. “They’ll participate sometimes too.”
No matter how difficult a challenge like mountain biking may seem, Roubal insists it can be accomplished as long as you put your mind to it.
“A lot of times, it’s easy to say something is hard and that you can’t finish it,” he says. “But if you can train yourself to believe in what you’re doing and that you will get through it, then there’s nothing that can stop you from doing that.”